Temperature relief valve device



Dec, 7, 1937. D, LOVEKIN ZJWL338 TEMPERATURE RELIEF VALVE DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1955 I, 2 Sheets-Shet 1 WNW/E55. a fi L aye/{Y n Deg 19371 L. D. LOVEKIN 2,W1,338

TEMPERATURE RELIEF VALVE DEVICE Filed Jan. 4, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 25 the following description at the end of which the Puehied Dec. 1,1937 7 Q 2,101,338

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF1c|-:

TEMPERATURE RELIEF VALVE -DEVIGE Luther D. Lovekin, Villa Nova, Pa, assignmto Kitson Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of West Virginia Application January 4, 1935, Serial No. 331

3 Claims. (Cl. 251-128) The present invention relates to temperature ployment in the device of a. pair of bi-metal therlimiting valve devices of the bi-metal self-clpsing mostats. type for the tanks or boilers of domestic open Figure 4 is a similar view illustrating a modifisystem hot water supplies. cation in which use is made of a temperature re- 5 Objects of the present invention are to provide sponsive fuse, and

a construction and arrangement of valve parts Figure 5 is a view of part of the device illussuch that the valve can be satisfactorily opened trating the use of a multiplicity of bi-metallic by means of a bi-metal thermostat which, as is thermostats. Well known, is incapable of exerting any consid- In the drawings, and referring more particuerable forcein respect to the water pressure to larly' Figure I indicates a casing a p 10 which the valves of such devices are subjected; o inse tion in the hot water line from the tank to provide for opening and closing the valve at r 1101181 f a es c p Sy e hot Water certain temperatures when the dead or house Supply. The fitting l is P v d w th a waterend of the system is closed, and for opening and W y 2 h ving in the wall thereof an opening 3 closing the valve at difierent temperatures when shown as threaded e ca n I is so pro- 15 hot water is being drawn at the house or dead vided With a heat nducting mass of metal 4 end of the system; to oppose chattering of the extending into the -Waya is a tubular valve; to provide in one fitting a single valve fitting mounted n the opening 3 and provided adapted to operate as a vent valve, a vacuum with peripheral inlets 6 and peripheral outlets 26 valve, and a temperature n m valve; and in 1, of which the former'are arranged in the watergeneral to provide a compact, Simple and way 2, and the latter are arranged outside of ble temperature limiting device for the purposes the water'way e fitting a Pm with Statai a seat for the ball valve 8 which is caged by the pin 9. The fitting a is also provided with 9. Other ob ects of the invention will appear from chamber I o and with a cap 5 i for closing one end of the chamber providing a dash pot cylinder. l2. I3 is a plunger endwise movable in the fitting a and having a guide spider i4 and a shank outwardly tapering to provide a dash pot plunger. I5 I is a bi-metal thermostat having one end mounted on the heat conducting mass 4 and having the other end provided with an adjustinvention will be claimed.

Generally stated the invention comprises the improvements to be presently described and iinally claimed. 30 The invention also comprises a casing provided with a water-way having an opening and prod d with a heat conductin metallic mass exzeniling into the water-way a tubular fitting 5 .screw b ahgned the plunger The mounted in said openine and provided with peg g gg i mounted through nut 3 ac e to et ermostat i5. i1 isajamnut. I8 a we ball valve seat and a caged ball seated by water gfi i g g fi gig g thetmsm and pressure and wlth plunger chamber and The mode of operation may be described as plunger for unseating the ball valve, a bi-metal fcnows: when the tem r f 40 thermostat having one end mounted on said heat fluid way 2 is below a r iggg g g gfg fi gg 40 conductmg mass and other end aligned with which the thermostat is ineffective the pressure the plunger, and a housing detachably connected of the water holds the ball 8 to its seat and the with the casing and enclosing the thermostat arts occupy the positions indicated in Figure 1 and Providing a hot f with space between the end of the plunger and 5 In the following descl'lption reference win he the ball. When. the temperature .of the water; mad .110 the P P P-fl drawing-5 forming rises, the set screw is moved by the thermosat, Pa hereof and m Whlchbut the plunger does not reach' the ball until the Figure l is a central sectional view of a device temperature of t wat ris s t a, temperature so embodying features of the invention and adapted for which the device is set, then the plunger lifts for insertio i a 110? Water linethe ball from its seat, thus permitting hot water Figure 2 is Similar View illustrating a dito escape by the spill-way i9, which reduces the fication of the invention and adapted for applitemperature of water. When the temperature of cation to a tank or b i e the water in the fluid-way has fallen, the ther- Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the emmostat resumes its original position and the ball 66 water rises, the thermostat depresses the plunger which unseats the ball 8 and hot water enters the inlets 6 and flows out at the outlets I to waste with the result that the temperature of the water in the fluid way is lowered whereupon the thermostat resumes the position shown in the drawings and the ball 8 is seated. When water is flowing through the water-way 22, for example, when the hot taps are open, the operation of the parts is the same. However, in the last case the thermostat will open the valve at lower temperatures and permit it to close at higher temperatures than is the case if water is not flowing through the water-way. This is due to the fact that when water is not flowing in the water-way the metallic mass 4 serves to conduct heat from the still water to the thermostat, whereas when the water is flowing the transfer of heat to the thermostat is more efiective than when the water is still, due to the greater quantity of water contacting the metallic mass l, which gives a higher rate of heat transfer. It may be remarked that in the operation of the ball valve and its accessories jets are notformed so that the ball does not vibrate. The device operates to limit the temperature of the water and it also serves as a vacuum or vent valve because the ball is free to open the valve inwardly if the pressure in the fluid way is reduced below the pressure in the housing l8, which might occur if the water supply, for example from a tank or boiler to the casing I, should be drawn off.

In Figure 2 the casing I is provided with a nipple 28 which is adapted for insertion through the wall 2| of a tank of a domestic hot water system. The fluid way 22 extends from the nipple and discharges into the hot water supply pipes of the system. The waste way is shown at 23 and the housing 24 encloses the thermostat and provides a passage for spill water from the outlets of the ball valve to the waste 23. The construction of the fitting, thermostat and their accessories are as above described but they are arranged in inverted position. However, the pressure of water in the fluid way 22 so far exceeds the eflfect of gravity on the ball valve that the water pressure serves to normally seat the same, as shown in Fig. 2.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification shown in Figure 3 are as above described in connection with Figure 1 except that use is made of a pair of bi-metal thermostats 25 and 28 each connected with a metallic mass 4 that extends into the water way 2. The plunger of the valve which opens the ball valve is made in two parts (and this is true of Figure 2) of which the part 21 is connected with the thermostat 26 rigidly in the manner above described and the thermostat 25 is connected with the part 21 by a sleeve 28 which affords it some play or range of motion in respect to the thermostat 26. The object of employing a pair of thermostats is to cause the device to operate to lift the ball 8 from its seat against a relatively high fluid presarouses sure in the water way. The power of a bi-metal thermostat is relatively small but thermostats made of thin strips of metal are more effective andby using a pair of such thermostats their lifting power is exerted upon the ball to better advantage because by their joint action they provide increased stiffness. In other words, two thermostats made of relatively thin strips of metal operate more emciently in lifting the ball from its seat than would one thermostat made of relatively thick strips of metal.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification shown in Figure 4 are as above described in connection with Figure 3 but there is also provided an auxiliary relief tube 28 extending through the wall of the casing from the spillway or waste 29 well into the water-way of the casing, and this tube is closed by a temperature responsive fuse 28 set to melt at a higher temperature than that at which the ball valve is opened by the thermostats. The purpose of this provision is to equip the device with a safety feature which will permit water to escape in the event of failure of the thermostats to open the ball valve.

The construction and mode of operation of the modification illustrated in Figure 5 are as above described, understanding that in Figure 5 only a part of the device and its accessories are illustrated. In this modification use is made of bimetal thermostats 38 and 3| substantially the same as the bi-metal thermostats 25 and 26 of Figure 3. In addition there are thermostats 82 and 82, the free ends of which are connected with the free ends of the thermostats 38 and 8|. The function of the thermostats 32 and 38 is to exert their power in opening the ball valve and it is also to stiffen the thermostats 30. and II, or perhaps more accurately the arms thereof, so that advantage of the thermostats of comparatively thin strips of metal is fully realized.

Although the balls used as valves are small they permit, when open, of the passage of sumcient water and in addition they do not require any more power to lift them from their seats than can be obtained from the direct application of bi-metal thermostatic devices to them without the intervention of multiplying levers or springs.

It may be remarked that the construction shown in Figure 2 constitutes a unitary structure for domestic boilers and tanks comprising a nipple for connection with the tank or boiler and a temperature limiting valve and a vacuum and vent valve, all of which is a matter of considerable economy and convenience in installation and use.

It is an advantage of a ball valve that a thermostat not only has suflicient power but also sufflcient stroke for opening it or lifting its ball from its seat.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited in respect to suchmatters or otherwise than as the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:

1. In a valve device, the combination of, 1:. casing having a water way therein and having an opening therein, communicating with said water way, a tubular fitting mounted in said opening and having peripheral outlets therein, a valve seat forming a portion of the walls of said tubular fitting. a ball valve mounted for co-operation with said seat, a closed cylinder forming a portion of aroreea said tubular fitting extending beyond said peripheral outlets, and a plunger mounted in said cylinder and aligned with said ball valve and movable in one direction to open said valve and in the opposite direction to gradually close communication between the interior of said cylinder and said peripheral outlets and to thereby act as a dash-pot, there being provision for lost motion between said ball valve and said plunger.

2. In a valve device, the combination of, a casing having a water way therein and an opening therein in communication with said water way, a tubular fitting mounted in said opening and having peripheral outlets therein, a valve seat forming a portion of the walls of said tubular fitting, a ball valve mounted for co-operation with said seat, a closed cylinder forming a portion of said tubular fitting mounted adjacent said peripheral outlets, a plunger mounted in said cylinder and aligned with said ball valve and movable in one direction to open said ball valve and in the opposite direction to permit said ball valve to close,

said plunger having a shank tapering outward so as to direct water passing between said ball valve and said valve seat to said peripheral outlets, there being provision for lost motion between said ball valve and said plunger.

3. The combination in a device of the type specified, of waste and fluid ways having a common wall, a tubular fitting extending through the wall and having peripheral inlet openings and a ball valve seat and a ball cage in the fluid way and having peripheral discharge openings and a plunger chamber in the waste way, a ball arranged in the cage for freedom of movement and adapted to be normally seated by fluid pressure, and a plunger arranged in the chamber and provided with a spider guide and with a head cooperating with said discharge openings to form a dashpot, said plunger being arranged to operate directly on the ball, there being a provision for lost motion between the ball and plunger.

LUTHER D. LOVEKIN. 

